Neon Metropolis
by DemolitionLvr
Summary: Because zeichnerinaga triple dog dared me, I wrote a story a story of meddling Hizuris, Las Vegas escapades, and drunken decisions. And love of course. RenxKyoko, mostly fluff and humor. Go ahead and read it, it won't take you long.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own jackshit. Things I don't own include Skip Beat!, Christian Dior, Mercedes, Porsche, and absolutely anything or anyplace in Los Angeles.

BEFORE YOU READ, for the beginning of this story to make sense, pretend that the Cain/Setsu thing never happened, and just accept everything I say as god's truth.

Oh, and this story was a challenge from **zeichnerinaga**. Thanks for that, by the way. I'll explain the challenge at the end of the next chapter, otherwise it would give everything away. If this story sucks, I apologize. I tried.

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><p><em>It's all emotion. But there's nothing wrong with emotion. When we are in love, we are not rational; we are emotional. When we are on vacation, we are not rational; we are emotional. Frank Luntz<em>

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><p><strong>Neon Metropolis chapter 1<strong>

She realized that she trusted him more than anyone else when she was nineteen and she was the first one he told about his real identity and told her about their past together.

She realized that she loved him when she was twenty, and he spent six months in California filming several movies and spending time with his much neglected family. She was happy for him, but her heart still ached to be near him again.

Of course, she never told him that. She instead threw herself into her work to avoid dwelling on him, to the point where she was Japan's most celebrated actress when he returned.

Kyoko was still afraid of love, after all. She wasn't so presumptuous as to think that Kuon would love her back. He was perfect; although she knew now of his past and all of his mistakes, she still thought he was perfect.

So she just accepted that she was the victim of yet another unrequited love. She wanted to continue to be his friend, though, someone he could talk to and trust and take care of sometimes when she asked for help. When he arrived in Narita International Airport, she was one of the few people, with Lory, Maria, and Yashiro, to greet him. The press had been lied to, so he was able to have a relatively peaceful homecoming.

She entered the President's office two months later, soon after her twenty-first birthday to tell him that she wanted a vacation- she hadn't taken one, had hardly had a day off, since she had joined LME. But now that she had fair success, she modestly thought, she could afford to visit her "father" as he had been telling her to do for several years.

She spoke to Kuu on the phone at least twice a month. She would talk about her work and he would give her advice; she would talk about friends and he would ask why she wasn't dating anyone; she would say that there wasn't anyone that she was interested in, and he would ask why she wasn't interested in his son. Their conversations usually reached the point when Kuu tried to hook her up with his son at least once a call, and she just gradually got used to it and didn't even blush about it anymore.

The president of LME looked at his hard-working actress, and conceded that she deserved a vacation after all the work she had put in over the last few years. When she told him where she was going, he asked if she wanted some company. She asked who he had in mind, and he told her. She smiled and agreed.

A quick call to Kuon's cell phone later and tickets were secured by Lory's mysterious assistant for them both.

It was was set: Mogami Kyoko and Hizuri Kuon were to visit Kuu and Julie Hizuri in June.

Kyoko stretched her arms and legs as she walked off the plane and groaned. She hated flying, no matter how much of it she did. In the past couple of years she had done a lot of location shoots, her favorite being in Paris, but flying made her nauseous.

As uncomfortable as she had been throughout the whole flight, she had been very comforted by the presence of her attractive traveling mate in the first class seat next to hers. He had talked to her until she fell asleep, and then had remained very still as she slept on his shoulder. She had been embarrassed when she woke up, and apologized profusely, asking if her head had hurt his shoulder, or if she had been too heavy. He had to reassure her three times before she would actually believe that he didn't mind.

Walking out of one of the gates of Los Angeles International Airport, Kyoko's head started swiveling around immediately. When she found what she was looking for, her face broke into a huge grin.

"FATHER!"

In a scene not uncommon in American airports, Kyoko ran through a crowd and into the arms of her self-declared father, followed slowly by Kuon.

Kuu laughed out loud. "It's good to see you. I can't believe it's taken you so long to visit. What is it with my sons and never coming home?"

"Sorry, father. I'm here now though! Where did Kuon go?" Kuon had made sure that after knowing each other for so long they were on first name basis.

Finding him finally weaving through the last of the crowd, Kuu held onto Kyoko while he went to give his real son a half hug. "I didn't think I'd see you again so soon."

Starting to walk towards the exit Kuon smiled, "Yeah I didn't think I'd be back so soon either, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

"The opportunity for what?" Kuu teased, "To spend more time with Kyoko?"

Kuon, who had no idea that Kuu had been talking to Kyoko on this subject since Kuon's identity was revealed, actually blushed, which Kyoko, who had rolled her eyes at the comment, thought was adorable.

He stuttered, "Dad, that's- that's-"

Kuu cut him off, knowing he wouldn't have anything intelligible to say. "Yeah, I'm sure." He laughed, "I guarantee I'll have the two of you together by the end of your vacation."

Kyoko laughed, which stunned Kuon. He thought that such a modest girl would be horrified by his father's implications, but she just brushed it off.

They got to Kuu's car, a silver Mercedes E350, and Kyoko sat in the back while the men went in front. While Kuu chattered on about how excited Julie was to see them, Kuon mulled over Kyoko's reaction. Based on experience, he thought that she would vehemently oppose the notion of love, especially with him. He spent the whole car ride going back and forth from thinking it was good that she didn't so strenuously deny the idea of a relationship with him, to thinking that it was bad that she laughed at the idea like it was ridiculous.

When they arrived at the Hizuri's home in Malibu, they were greeted by an enthusiastically cheerful Julie. Kyoko had met her several times since Ren became Kuon, because she visited Japan to see him every few months. The two women had become very attached to each other. Kyoko thought it would have been incredible to have such a loving mother, and Julie wished she'd had a daughter as darling as Kyoko. In fact, she knew exactly how she would get Kyoko for a real daughter.

Two determined scheming parents against two kids with no experience with real love, and who were already in love with each other. Kuon and Kyoko didn't stand a chance.

The first several days in LA Kyoko wanted to spend time at home with her "parents." No one opposed the idea, they all wanted to spend time together, and being out in public could get crazy for the Hizuris, considering their fame.

Julie was the only one who demanded time out of the house, in the form of a shopping trip along Rodeo Drive that she had planned, but even that wasn't for a few days.

Kuon was just fine where he was, considering he got to see Kyoko in a bikini for the better part of the day. But his father was a thorn in his side. He really seemed determined to tease, and poke and prod him into a relationship with Kyoko. He wasn't even subtle.

When they woke up the day after their arrival, muggy with jetlag, Kyoko and Kuon met the other two downstairs for breakfast. Kuu had already started breakfasting on a huge mountain of food. Kyoko stole a bagel off the top of his pile, earning her a playful glare, while Kuon merely grabbed a mug and poured in some coffee. When all four were seated at the table, Kuu swallowed his mouthful of food and asked, "So, son, when are you going to confess your undying love for Kyoko?"

"PFFFT!"

Kuon had been taking a drink of coffee, and narrowly missed spitting it all over his mother. He looked at his father in shock, while Kyoko leveled a glare and said, "Father, don't say things to deliberately make people uncomfortable."

Kuu just shrugged and laughed, and then continued eating. Kuu spent three days entertaining himself like that.

When the girls went on their anticipated shopping trip, they left Kuon to be tortured endlessly by his father. His father knew how he felt, knew how much Kuon wanted to do exactly as he told him. So why did he insist on torturing him?

In response to one particularly mortifying comment that day, Kuon snapped, "Do you hate me or something?"

Kuu looked shocked by the question. "Of course I don't! I love my precious son!"

"Then why do you insist on mocking me?"

Kuu looked at his son sympathetically. "That's not what I intended. I'm just encouraging you to tell the girl of your dreams your feelings. You know your mother and I would love Kyoko for a real daughter-"

"UGH! Enough!"

Late that night Kyoko and Julie returned laden with bags and packages with expensive designer names on them. Ren walked over to relieve Kyoko of some of her bags, as she looked exhausted. He looked down at her apologetically.

"Someone should have warned you about how difficult it is to keep up with my mother in a clothing store."

Kyoko smiled. "No, I had fun. But mother insisted on paying for everything. She wouldn't even let me thank her."

Julie looked at Kyoko with reproach, and repeated what she had been telling her all morning, "It is my right as a mother to spoil you. Besides, a girl who is going to model for Christian Dior should always be well dressed."

Right before she left Kyoko had been approached with a modeling contract. She had been floored; she couldn't believe that someone as plain as her could become a model for such famous fashion. They said that they wanted to use her in commercials for perfumes and accessories mostly, but they would also love for her to be a runway model, and told her to keep Paris Fashion Week in early July open. If they liked her they may request to use her in the fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris in the fall.

Kuon took the last couple of bags from her, and carried them up to her room. She apologized for being a bother the whole way up, but still allowed him to do it for her.

Once he had set down the bags, he asked, "Kyoko would you like to go see Los Angeles tomorrow? We've done the relaxing and now you've done enough shopping, I think. I'll show you all the tourist traps."

She looked worried. "Oh you don't have to do that and put yourself to so much trouble! You grew up here, why would you want to see all the tourist things? Please, I don't want to be a bother."

"Kyoko, I offered, so of course it's not a bother. It's because I grew up here that I never actually saw that stuff, and I'd like to go with you. Unless you just don't want to go with me?"

"No, no, no, that's not it; I'd love to go with you, Kuon. I just don't want you to do anything you don't want to do."

"Well then I won't. We'll leave around 10, okay?" Kyoko smiled and nodded.

When the four met for breakfast the next morning, Kuu and Julie were delighted with the kids' plans, since they both had to work that day. They also mentioned that they would be away that weekend, but they assured their guests that those were the only days they had to work during their stay, and that they would set up something for them to do while they were gone.

Kuon definitely did as promised. They took several days, and saw as much as they could that LA had to offer. Kuon took her to the film studios, teasing her that she would be working there soon enough so she should get to know them. He brought her to Disneyland, where she freaked out the women in the princess costumes with her enthusiasm. He took her to the boardwalk one night. She always chose the places they would eat, even though she didn't know the area. She talked to the locals and read some brochures, and she always managed to find great restaurants.

When friday night came around, Kuu finally told the younger pair what they would be doing over the weekend while they were away for filming.

"Now that you've seen LA, I think it's important to also see some other of America's famous cities. Julie wanted to send you to New York, but Kyoko will be there later in the year for Fashion week anyway."

Kyoko cut him off, "That's not decided yet, father, they might fire me in Paris if they don't like me on the runway."

Julie interceded, "That is simply ridiculous. I'll give you some tips that will instantly make you one of the most wanted models out there; they will have no choice but to cry and beg and pay you more to do it, since you are an actress first and can't model all the time."

"Thank you, my dear, but I would like to tell them where they're going now," Kuu whined.

"Yes, I'd like to know as well," Kuon agreed.

"Good. Well, as I was saying, you should see some of America's most famous cities. So, tomorrow you two will be making a very quick flight to-"

Kuu paused for dramatic effect while Kuon thought, _Oh God please say he's not sending us to-_

"Las Vegas!"

_Fuck._

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><p><strong>So, um, was it terrible? I don't know... I hope not. Cheers.<br>**


	2. Chapter 2

Neon Metropolis 2

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own jack.

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><p><em>Las Vegas was and is a hard town that will make you pay for your inability to restrain your desires... If you have a weakness, Las Vegas will punish you. HAL ROTHMAN, Neon Metropolis<em> (This book is the namesake of this story)

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><p>Kyoko was excited. America's Sin City had a reputation that crossed oceans. She wasn't thinking about the bad parts of it, like the high crime rate and drugs and prostitution and ugly fat people sitting at slot machines. No, she was thinking lights and shows and fancy hotels and a fun night life. It was a slew of experiences that she had never had, since she had been so very busy with work.<p>

Kuon internally hated his parents at that moment. The old slogan, "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" ran through his head as a blessing and a curse. A lot could happen in a few days staying with Kyoko there.

He looked at Kyoko's excited face as she thanked her "parents" excessively and knew that there was no way he could get out of this.

When Kyoko looked back at Kuon, he didn't look thrilled about this news. She started apologizing for various things that didn't really make sense for her to apologize for: for being excited when he was unhappy, for not taking his feelings into consideration when she accepted, and for assuming that he would enjoy taking a trip with her. Kuon had to stop her, "Kyoko, I promise you that I am not unhappy. I look forward to going with you."

Kyoko looked up at him with a small pout that he found absolutely adorable. "Really?"

He smiled, "Really."

Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief, thanked his parents once more, and then went to pack a weekend bag, Julie going with her to choose the "perfect" outfits. Once left alone, Kuon turned to his father and declared, "You are really trying to kill me, aren't you?"

Kuu glanced innocently at his son. "I have no idea what you mean." With that, he strolled away.

They rose early the next morning. Kuu had offered to book them plane tickets, but Kyoko didn't want to fly anymore, so they decided to drive. It would only take about four hours anyway. They would be returning Monday morning, and then they would spend the remaining eight days of their vacation with Kuu and Julie.

The drive over was fun for them both, enjoying each other's company. It felt very quick as they were talking and keeping each other entertained. Before they knew it, they saw the Las Vegas skyline.

One must admit that Las Vegas is of course more dramatic and beautiful at night, but that doesn't mean that it's not pretty during the day. They came into the city at about noon and spent about an hour driving around it, deciding what they would do and see before they went to the Venetian Hotel to check in.

Kyoko was awed by the hotel. The architecture was designed to mimic Venice, Italy, and it was surrounded by a canal with gondolas drifting by. Ren saw that she wanted to take a ride in the boats, and promised that they would go right after they check in.

If Kyoko was amazed by the outside of the hotel, she was totally floored by the inside. Everything was lavish, with paintings and chandeliers and statues. She wished that she had another set of eyes to see everything while Kuon spoke to a woman at the front desk.

Their suite seemed to Kyoko to be a study in large proportions and elegant luxury. She was starting to wonder exactly how much Kuu and Julie spent for them. She would have freaked out over it if Kuon wasn't there with her. She figured it was alright if it was for their son and she tagged along.

"Kuon, this place is way too nice. It's unbelievable."

He smiled. He knew she would love this place. That's why his parents chose it. He loved how much they loved her, although it was a relief to get away from his father's teasing about it.

"I know. Now come on, I promised you a gondola ride didn't i?"

Kyoko told him to wait while she changed. Opening her suitcase, she sighed at her adopted mother's insistence. She had planned to bring a small weekend bag, but Julie insisted that she have several outfits per day, making it necessary to use a large Louis Vuitton suitcase she had borrowed. Julie had threatened her with more days of exhausting shopping if Kyoko came back without wearing all of her outfits.

She pulled out one of her 'daytime' outfits, a knee length sleeveless yellow tweed dress with matching yellow tweed wrap jacket and wedge sandals. Kyoko couldn't believe that she was only going to be wearing it until dinner, as Julie insisted that models should always be properly dressed for each occasion.

When Kyoko walked out, Kuon had changed into a clean white button down shirt, but kept his slacks from the morning. He wasn't surprised long at her sudden switch to designer clothes- he knew his mother was behind it, and was glad. Kyoko looked beautiful, and deserved anything that he and his family could give her.

After the gondola ride they continued the sightseeing they had planned when they arrived. After seeing a few key tourist sites, they headed back to the hotel, Kyoko changed into a knee length light pink deep-V-neck dress with black embroidery, and they went to one of the many restaurants in the Venetian. Kyoko loved the food and paired her meal with a white wine. Kuon preferred Kyoko's cooking, but managed to eat about half of his food.

When they were finished, Kyoko made her last change of the day, into a full length gold lame dress. It cinched at her hip, which accentuated the shape of her hips and thighs, while the top closely draped around her small frame. Kuon merely put on the jacket to match his slacks and a tie.

Kuon offered her his arm, and escorted her out. He drove them to the Bellagio, where they were to see O Cirque du Soleil.

Kyoko relaxed when she saw other people dressed up for the show; she had been worried about being overdressed.

As soon as the show started, she forgot any worries at all. She was enthralled by the synchronized swimmers and acrobats. During the most exciting parts she clung to Kuon's arm in anticipation. He loved her touch, and wished he could hold more of her than her hands. He watched her more than the actual show.

When they returned to their suite, Kyoko quickly prepared for bed. When she had scrubbed off her makeup, brushed her teeth, and changed into a plain satin baby doll nightie, she knocked on Kuon's door.

He opened his door in a pair of cotton pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He was shocked to see her in her night-wear. She smiled up at him, and said, "Thank you for today. It was wonderful."

She stood on her toes while reaching and pulling his face down. The wanted to thank him properly, so she would do what he did sometimes. She gently pressed her lips against his cheeks. Kuon put his hands lightly on either side of her waist to hold her before she pulled away. Holding her still, he put his lips directly against hers very softly, almost innocently. Mindful of his slipping control, he let go, stepped back, and said, "Thank you, Kyoko. Good night."

He smiled and started to close his door. As she started walking away, he heard her whisper, "Sweet dreams."

Neither of them thought they would be getting much sleep that night.

In spite of her predictably restless sleep, Kyoko got up the next morning full of energy. The two ordered room service for breakfast. Once they were dressed, Kyoko in a dark blue short-sleeved jacket and white skirt, and Kuon in much the same as he had worn before, they went down to the hotel casino.

Kyoko looked around the room. She saw people playing poker on one side, and rows of slot machines on the other. Slot machines seemed tacky to her, so she started walking towards the tables.

"Do you know how to play poker?" Kuon asked.

She blushed, "Um, no. Do you?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. Come on. They're playing Texas Hold 'Em over there. I'll play and you can watch."

Kuon, to Kyoko's surprise, was quite adept at poker. He played a smart game while she watched on from beside him, and a fair pile of chips grew beside him, until he put all in on four aces, only to be beat by a straight flush by a man on the other side of the table.

At that point, deciding not to push his luck, he offered to switch with Kyoko, who had picked up the rules over time. She eagerly accepted; it looked like fun to her.

Kyoko's poker face was nonexistent. At least everyone at the table thought so. Kuon, though, knew she was acting, and was bluffing the other players easily. Kyoko soon had over two thousand dollars worth in chips next to her, even though they were at a low stakes poker table. He thought it was hilarious, as annoyed men kept losing their money to a cute young Japanese girl.

She wisely quit while she was ahead, collected her chips and they went to see other parts of the casino.

They wound up watching at a roulette table, next to a couple who seemed ill-matched: a very quiet man and a loud and chatty woman. Kyoko thought the two Americans were funny.

The bubbly blonde woman suddenly introduced herself to Kyoko. "Hi, I'm Rachel!"

Kyoko was surprised at the abruptness, but nevertheless introduced herself as well. "I'm Kyoko. Nice to meet you." She was a little uncomfortable only using her given name, but figured that when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Rachel seemed excited to hear Kyoko's accented English. "Oh, are you from Japan? How cool! I've always wanted to go, it seems like such a pretty place! I'm from upstate New York. Where in Japan are you from?"

"Kyoto originally but I live in Tokyo now. Oh, this is Kuon by the way, Kuon Hizuri."

Rachel gasped, "How rude of me! This man here is my fiancé Evan Pierce. Hey wait," she turned suddenly to Kuon, "are you Kuon Hizuri the movie star, son of Kuu and Julie Hizuri, who ran away to Japan to start your own career?"

Kuon gave one of his professional smiles and confirmed. She got excited, "Oh that is so cool! I think it's just great that you wanted to make a name for yourself. Are you two dating? You make such a cute couple! How did you meet? How long have you been together? Evan and I met through a mutual friend about a year ago, and we came to Las Vegas to get married. We're doing it tonight actually, do you two want to come? We have no guests, we wanted to do this away from our busy-body families, but now I think that it would be so lonely to have no friends there, so would you like to come?"

When Rachel finally paused for breath, Kyoko cut in to correct her assumptions. "Actually Rachel, we're not dating. We're just friends."

Rachel pouted in disappointment. "Aw, that's no fun. You really would make the cutest couple. Besides, I can tell you like each other."

The pair she referred two both blushed lightly, but pretended to ignore it. But Rachel had gotten the reaction she wanted, and knew she was right. She changed topics anyway. She was a very excitable person, and she didn't stay on one topic long, especially when she had important things to think about. "So do you want to come to our wedding or not?" she asked, leaning back into Evan.

Kyoko did want to go; she liked Rachel, she had a very bubbly yet down-to-earth personality that fit with her own more quiet but dreamy one. Looking hopeful, she asked Kuon if it was okay with him; he couldn't deny her anything she wanted.

"We would love to attend your wedding," Kuon said.

Rachel squealed and clapped her hands. She immediately grabbed Kyoko's arm and started chatting about wedding plans.

"That's so great, Oh this is gonna be so much fun. We booked the wedding for midnight, on the bridge over the canal. We wanted it to be at night under the full moon, but our families hated the idea, so we're saying 'fuck you' and doing it here. I think it's more romantic, just the two of us, and of course you two now. Anyway, I have a dress, it's not much of a wedding dress, I mean it's not white, and it's certainly not a ball gown like those monstrosities my parents were trying to force me into, it's more like a cocktail dress, but I love it and Evan loves me in it and that's what matters. Oh, could you be my Maid of Honor? Please, it would mean so much!"

As soon as she received a stunned nod from Kyoko, she continued, "Wonderful! What will we have you wear? Do you have anything? I mean, what you're wearing now is fabulous, and I suspect designer, but it's not very wedding-y, do you know what I mean? Let's go to your room, and see if you have a pretty dress to wear."

Kyoko found herself being dragged off by the bride-to-be, and managed to wave goodbye to Kuon, while Rachel called out to Evan that they would meet at the bridge for the wedding at half past eleven.

"Oh, no way. This dress is way too sexy for you to wear at my wedding," Rachel was saying as they looked through the remaining clothes Kyoko still had to wear to avoid Julie's wrath. "You have to wear this at a nightclub. Ooo, what a wonderful idea! Let's go dancing! I need to have a bachelorette party anyway. Here, you put on this gorgeous dress and we'll go to a club. We have about four hours before we have to meet the guys."

After Kyoko put on the Dove grey pleated bustier dress, they left the hotel and found a popular dance club that Rachel said she had found a few days ago on their first night in Vegas. They stopped at the bar to get drinks before going on the floor. They told the bartender, who attempted to flirt with Kyoko but gave up when she didn't even notice, to choose a drink he thought they'd like, since they had no real preference. He returned with a pair of glasses filled with a sweet, fruity cocktail that they immediately loved. Between dances, Kyoko had three downed before she knew it.

It wasn't until she was feeling very tipsy that she realized that there was more alcohol in those drinks than she had thought. She and Rachel, who stopped dancing to sit at the bar and chat, were both getting very drunk as they talked about their men. Rachel was very curious about Kyoko's relationship. After her fourth drink, a martini for a change, she finally admitted that she loved Kuon. Rachel had seen it coming, and encouraged her to tell him.

"He's so in love with you it's funny. That's why I thought you two were a couple. Have you ever seen the way that boy looks at you? Head over heels, honey."

"No, no, that's ridiculous, he doesn't love me. Does he?" Kyoko looked up with such innocent hope that Rachel wanted to laugh at her naïve new friend.

"It's so obvious, Kyoko. Just go for it."

Before they realized it, it was a quarter past eleven. Rachel had promised that they would meet the men at eleven thirty, but at that rate they would be late.

Rachel hailed a cab, and the two young, intoxicated women stumbled in. At ten to twelve they finally, still drunk, made it to the bridge, Rachel changed into her dress with assistance from Kyoko, to meet the men. Kuon looked relieved; he had gone to one of the many hotel bars with Evan while the girls went God knows where, and the guy had started to get mad at his fiancée as the minutes ticked by past the allotted time. The tension was making Kuon uncomfortable.

Unfortunately it didn't get better when the women arrived. In fact, it was worse. Kyoko stumbled over to Kuon, needing something to support her in her current state, while Evan rushed over to Rachel to scold her for her lateness.

"Rachel, what took you so long, the judge is going to be here any minute. Are you drunk?"

"Yeah, that bartender, he was a tricky guy, those drinks didn't taste that strong," Rachel tried to say, but it ended up being too slurred to understand.

Evan was furious, and Kyoko got scared, and tried to blame herself and apologize, but Kuon stopped her, telling her to keep out of their fight.

"But it's my fault we were late, and that we got so drunk and now they're fighting right before their wedding," Kyoko said. She had slightly more control over her tongue than Rachel had, but was much more emotional, and was almost crying as she clung to him.

He gently rubbed her back while he reasoned with her. "Kyoko, calm down. Their fight is about more than being drunk and late. Look."

Sure enough, the fight had escalated between the couple. Anger had sobered Rachel considerably, and they were arguing now about her mother and other seemingly old fights.

Kyoko pouted, but stopped looking so guilty. "They still shouldn't be fighting. It's awful to fight with the person you love."

As she said it, she fully embraced him, and he looked down in surprise. She was relaxed, and seemed to have forgotten about her friend's fight. He smiled and held her, reveling the feel of her in his arms.

Rachel and Evan were still arguing in mad whispers when the judge arrived. Seeing the scene before him, the judge turned to the two embracing each other and asked, "Are you two ready to be married?"

Before Kyoko or Kuon could even stutter their shock, Rachel pushed them forward. "Yeah, they're ready. Congrats, you two!"

Kuon began to protest, when two small hands grabbed his own. He looked down at Kyoko's hands, and then up to her face, which looked _happy_. More than happy, she looked in love. And he knew that he didn't have it in his heart to say no to her, even if she was drunk and would probably regret this in the morning, he didn't want her to think he was rejecting her.

"What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" was an old advertising slogan, and a very false one; news of the sudden marriage reached LA even as they were saying "I do," in the form of a text message Kuu received from his friend and actress Rachel, to this effect: "I can't believe your plan worked you meddling bastard, but they are actually getting married. You owe me big."

His response was almost simultaneous: "Send me a picture!"

By the time Kuon kissed the bride, much more passionately than he had the night before, Kuu was on the phone with Lory. "Boss, you are not going to believe what I just made happen."

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><p>AN: So, yeah, the challenge was to get the two **married without confessing their feelings**. and my mind could only come up with one possible solution: Las Vegas, You're damn right. I know this whole story seems very improbable, and it is, but it's fan fiction, and if you enjoy the story then it was worth my writing it. so i hope you enjoyed.** Review? yeah, you should.**

OH HEY! all of Kyoko's outfits came from actual haute cauture designers. day 1 was all **Chanel** (her first 2 outfits are in the ready-to-wear spring/summer 2011 line, you can find them on Chanel's website), day 2 the first outfit was **Christian Dior** (in the ready-to-wear summer 2011 line, can be found on their website) and the second dress was **Giorgio Armani **(ready-to-wear women's lookbook precollection, on their website). I didnt really give good descriptions, but they were all gorgeous, and** I really wanted to spoil Kyoko in this story**. when has she ever been spoiled? she totally deserves it. **Cheers!**

**PS I love the idea of Kyoko kicking ass at poker, don't you?  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Neon Metropolis Chapter 3

Disclaimer: yup.

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><p>"True love begins when nothing is looked for in return." Antoine De Saint-Exupery<p>

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><p>Kyoko woke up the next morning in her bed in their suite. She only had time to see that before all her thoughts were interrupted by the worst headache she had ever had. She stopped thinking for several minutes while she waited for it to pass. When it didn't, she decided it was necessary to think through it.<p>

She tried to sit up, slowly as to not make her head pound. When she did, something heavy which she realized then had been resting on her stomach, slid into her lap. She looked down at the tan and well-muscled arm, and very nervously followed the length of it to find its owner.

Finding Kuon in bed with her was a shock, but she was momentarily relieved to not find a stranger next to her. She didn't think she was that kind of person, but she had never gotten that drunk before, so she didn't know how she would act.

While her train of thought was on that subject, she looked at herself for clue as to what had happened last night. Her clear memory stopped somewhere in the club with Rachel when she told her that she was in love with Kuon.

Looking down at her dress which was thankfully still on, she noticed that her thin straps had been pulled off of her shoulders. She blushed when she noticed a hickey on her collarbone, and looked over to Kuon, the only person who could have put it there. She reached out to wake him, to ask him what had happened since she still couldn't string together her jumbled memories, but stopped short looking at her left hand.

On her left ring finger was a white gold wedding band. And she remembered what had happened.

She put her head in her hands in shame. What would he think of her now? She got wasted and forced him to marry her, in Vegas! What even happened to Rachel and Evan? If they broke up that was probably her fault too. As it was, they stole their wedding, and the rings they were wearing must have been theirs too.

In the middle of her adding climate change and world hunger to the list of things that were her fault, Kuon started to stir. He watched her for a minute as she mumbled to herself before taking a preparatory breath and sitting up.

Kyoko froze when he moved. He was going to hate her, she knew it, and then they couldn't be friends anymore and she would be heartbroken all over again. She slowly looked up at him, afraid of what emotions his face would display. But when she looked up, she saw that he only looked worried. She couldn't sense any anger from him at all. When she realized that, she relaxed just a noticed her calm down, and asked how she was feeling.

His question returned her attention to her throbbing head. "Hung over," she stated.

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah that happens when you get as drunk as you did. What were you drinking anyway? I didn't think you liked the hard stuff."

"I don't," she exclaimed, the winced, regretting speaking so loudly. "I asked the bartender to suggest something he thought I would like, and he gave me this fruity thing. It didn't taste strong at all, and I guess I downed three of them pretty fast. Then I ordered a martini and I was a goner."

"Why a martini?"

Kyoko blushed, "Well I suppose it's just something I've always wanted to try. I'm never drinking one again though. Oh, God my head."

Kuon chuckled, "Actually you should just be proud that you didn't throw up."

She nodded weakly. Then she remembered the more pressing issue over her hangover. "Um, Kuon, last night, did we actually . . . get married?"

Kuon sighed. He didn't want to have this conversation just yet. "Maybe we should talk about that after you've had some coffee and aspirin. It'll help you think better."

Kuon got out of bed and walked out into the living room of their suite. He picked up the phone and called room service for breakfast, making sure to ask for extra coffee and some Advil.

Kyoko laid her head back down and closed her eyes to try and review the events from the night before: arriving at the bridge, Rachel and Evan fighting, the brief ceremony by moonlight, being carried into the suite bridal style by Kuon, the way he had kissed her lips and neck and held her before the alcohol finally put her to sleep. Her last memory before falling asleep was one she wasn't sure was real: Kuon whispering "I love you, Kyoko" in her ear. She very much hoped it was real.

She didn't realize she had fallen back to sleep until Kuon gently shook her shoulder and placed a tray of breakfast in front of her. She thought it was so sweet that he brought her breakfast in bed even after what she did. But she was still afraid that he would hate her for what she did.

She took the two painkillers he handed her and swallowed them with water first, then started digging into the omelet. He drank a mug of coffee and watched her eat, which made her feel embarrassed to no end. After she ate her last bites and was left only with her coffee, he took the tray and put it somewhere else. When he returned, he finally answered her question.

"Yes, Kyoko, we actually did get married last night," he said, looking her in the eye with a serious, but not unhappy expression.

Kyoko gulped, and started talking very quickly. "I'm so sorry, Kuon, this is all my fault, I forced you to do this because I was drunk and acting ridiculous, I can't apologize enough for my actions, I'm a terrible friend to get you into this position-"

At that point Kuon couldn't listen anymore. "Kyoko, listen to me. It's not your fault; you drank a cocktail that was too strong for you. It's easy to get drunk in this city anyway. I was the one who was sober when Rachel told the judge that we were the ones getting married, I could have stopped it. So if it's anybody's _fault_, it would be mine."

She was horrified that he would take the blame. She was about to protest more, but suddenly Kuon leaned forward and put his hand over hers and said, "Kyoko, don't worry."

The look in his eyes made her forget all of her reasons, and when he leaned back, she found that she really didn't want to argue with him. Still, she had to ask, "So what are we going to do now?"

He looked thoughtful. "I was thinking we could go see a show, since this is our last day here."

"Kuon, I meant-"

"I know what you meant. I told you not to worry. Now, we should both shower, you smell like booze, my dear." He kissed her lightly on the lips like he had two nights ago and then left to use the other bathroom.

Kyoko touched her lips, and felt warm. He had been so kind to her, he didn't blame her, and he didn't hate her. Maybe, after all this they could be friends still.

When they were both showered and presentable, they headed down to the hotel's theater, where there was a musical playing.

Kuon held onto her hand throughout the whole show. At first Kyoko had been disconcerted by the feel of his hand in hers, with his thumb lightly drawing circles on her skin. But by the end of the first act she found his presence very comforting, and she depended on it for comfort as the show became a tragedy.

When the show was over, Kyoko mentioned wanting to buy souvenirs for her friends at home, so they went to the collection of shops in the hotel. While she was looking at typical tourist memorabilia Kuon disappeared for about a half hour.

"Where have you been?" she asked when he finally returned.

"I was just looking around," he hedged.

"I was looking all over for you. Don't just leave me like that!"

"Never again, I promise." His sincerity left her breathless, until he pulled a hat down over her eyes, teasing her. All of a sudden the awkwardness was gone, and she wished that their marriage wasn't just a mistake.

At around seven Kuon said that he had made a dinner reservation for eight, and they headed to their room to change. Kuon put on another suit as her tried to calm his nerves. He had done all he could to make her feel at ease that day. Now he couldn't do anything but hope for good results.

When Kyoko came out, his breath caught. He had never seen her look so beautiful, or sexy. She was wearing a short, black dress. It had a straight neckline, and ended high on her thighs. The fabric hugged her curves and accentuated them. The slinky dress was at odds with her shy expression as she asked, "Do I look alright?"

"You- you look…" he wanted to use so many adjectives, but most of them, including sexy, ravishing, and seductive, would scare her. "You look beautiful."

Kyoko blushed prettily, and thanked him.

He would never tell her, but the restaurant he brought her to was probably the most expensive place in the city, and it had been given pretty much every award it could get. It was worth it if she liked the food, and it was very exclusive, so they would have some privacy. That was key; he didn't want an audience to see what he was about to do.

Kyoko was as nervous as he was, because she could feel his intense, anxious aura. She had always been able to read him so well, but now she had no idea what he was going to say. She could see that they were at a very lavish restaurant, so was he trying to make her feel better when he finally handed her what she had expected to receive all day: divorce papers? The idea made her want to cry. She found it odd that she wanted to save a marriage that was the result of alcohol and mistakes instead of love. _That_ made her want to cry even more.

He kept the conversation light while they were eating, trying to calm both of their nerves with topics she liked to talk about. She finished talking about her best friend, Kotonami Kanae's new movie just as their plates were taken away.

When she stopped talking, he broke the silence. "Kyoko, there's something important that we must discuss."

Kyoko's mind reeled in preparation for the heartbreak she knew she was about to feel. But it never came. Because Kuon then got down on one knee in front of her.

"Kyoko, I should have told you a long time ago, but I was afraid you still weren't ready. In light of our recent, uh, marriage, though, I think it's right to tell you now that I am very much in love with you. I have been since you were sixteen."

He paused for a minute to gauge her reaction. Kyoko was already in tears. She was in love with the most perfect man, and he loved her back. He had waited five years for her! She didn't deserve him, but she couldn't help but want to be selfish, just this once.

"It may be a little late for this question, but if you love me back, you would make me unbelievably happy if you would agree to be my wife," he finished, and pulled out a black jewelry box from his suit pocket. He opened it to reveal a gorgeous ring, white gold to match their wedding bands, and an elegant marquis-cut diamond, not too large because he had known she wouldn't like it, with smaller diamonds at the edges. "Kyoko, will you marry me? Again?"

She giggled through her tears at his nervously added last word, and managed to push the word _yes_ past the lump in her throat. His face lit up with one of his sincere, loving, she realized now, smiles. He leaned up to her, putting a hand to her face and asked, "Yes?" needing confirmation. She nodded and smiled, saying yes several times, until he cut her off with a kiss.

Kyoko thought that if it were possible to die from happiness, that would be the moment for it. Kuon slid the ring onto her finger and kissed it. A woman from a nearby table congratulated them as he sat back down. They were shocked to realize that it was Rachel.

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><p>Epilogue:<p>

It was still warm even in late September, although a cool breeze passed through as a reminder of the coming autumn. Kyoko stood near the open window, making sure to keep out of sight of the guests on the beach, but still smelling the ocean breeze. She was looking in a full length mirror, latching the white fabric of her gown move with her. She knew it looked perfect. It had been made for her personally by the designers at Christian Dior. After Julie had worked with her for a couple of days on modeling techniques, she had them begging for her back as a model, and the dress had been a gift, or rather a bribe.

Now, though, wearing it, she came to the full realization that it was her wedding day. Her real one, with her loved ones, and an engagement ring on her finger, and a white dress and a bouquet in her hand. The one the press was strictly barred from.

No one except Kuu, Julie and Lory knew that they were already married. They had announced that they were engaged when they returned to Japan.

"Kyoko, five minutes till show time," Rachel announced, returning to the room after a brief absence to speak to Julie. She was wearing her pale green bridesmaid dress. Kanae, standing beside Kyoko, matched except for a white sash around her waist, distinguishing her as the maid of honor.

After Rachel had confessed that she had schemed with Kuu to get them together, Kyoko had been mad for a while, predictably. But then Rachel played her best friend when she filmed her debut movie in America back in July, and they had reconciled and been best friends since, although Kanae would always be first in Kyoko's mind.

What Kyoko thought was funny was that after their stunt, Rachel had actually started dating Evan, her co-star in the scheme.

Evan had apologized to Kuon for tricking him, and they actually became good friends, if only because they were thrown together often, when Kyoko and Rachel left them by themselves to go out together.

Kyoko had been in the States for over four months now. She missed Japan, and went back every month or so to make a cameo appearance or film a movie.

"Stop day-dreaming, stupid, we have to go, or you'll never get married," Kanae scolded.

Rachel giggled for some reason Kanae couldn't fathom. The two girls hadn't liked each other when Kyoko first introduced them. Kanae thought Rachel was too bubbly, and Rachel thought Kanae was a bitch to Kyoko. They got used to each other for the sake of their lovable mutual friend.

"She's right, your prince charming is waiting, and you're sober this time," Rachel teased, confusing and angering Kanae more.

Kyoko pouted, "Be quiet, I still blame that whole thing on you, so don't even talk. Alright," she took a deep breath and checked the mirror one last time. "Let's do this."

Kyoko's two friends walked up the aisle, paired off, Rachel and Evan first followed by Kanae and Yashiro. Maria spread rose petals on the path as the flower girl, escorted by a nephew Kuon had rustled up from somewhere to act as ring-bearer. Finally it was time for the bride.

The music changed and the fifty-odd guests stood and gasped when she walked out. She was breathtaking, but Kyoko didn't care that they thought so. The only person she saw as she glided across the sand was him. Her Kuon. Her husband, her groom. He thought she was breathtaking, and that was more than enough.

Even if their beginning was a story they had to hide, Kyoko didn't have a single regret as she said her vows again. She was sure that she was the happiest person in the world the moment he kissed her.


End file.
